A father’s threats. A tragic accident. Unanswered questions. Oz Sullivan has finally moved past the tangled web surrounding his brief, but intense, relationship with the young, impetuous Adrienne Deschanel. Through his family, and successful career as an attorney, he has forged a tranquil predictability.

Then Adrienne unexpectedly emerges, with no memory of the life she once led. Her desperate attempt to flee the confusing and dark influences in the bayou instinctively propels her to the one face for which she has a name. Oz’s world is once again turned upside down, as he must decide how to help her without losing himself entirely.

Set amidst the lush and vibrant backdrop of New Orleans, St. Charles at Dusk tells the story of Oz and Adrienne; of forbidden love, and startling heartbreak.

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Review:

I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This review is hard for me to write. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The writing itself was good, it flowed well and I didn't find any issue with that. The problem I mostly faced was, despite the flow, it was overly descriptive. Because of that, I just found it really hard to keep reading it. I had to push myself to continue, even though the overall story was interesting - the way it was presented took me out of it.

Out of all of the characters, Angelique was my favorite. Without spoilers, it is not because I liked her - not in the least. But because she was the one that was the easiest to understand, and seemed the most real. I wanted to like Adrienne, because of how she was before the accident. She was a character I really liked, was interested in, and enjoyed. After it, though, she just wasn't believable. Then there's Oz... I don't really know what to say about him. Sometimes he made sense, the rest of the time I didn't know what the hell was going on.

I would suggest a content editor to help this story. It has potential but it isn't quite something I would recommend to anyone, unless they're a devourer of books.

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Review:

I have to start out by saying that this is perhaps the most original story I've ever read. I will admit that I was drawn in by the title after finding it on The Fussy Librarian, it was just so odd that I needed to check it out. After skimming through the reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon, and seeing it was an actual story - and not just a joke - I decided to give it a chance. I've been reading the same type of story lately, and I was in the mood for a change.

The story starts out slowly, introducing you to the Amish culture. I would like to point out that I was very impressed with how they were represented during the entire story. Never once did I feel they were the target of ridicule. It was done in a way that those not familiar with their beliefs would grasp them well enough to keep up with the story.

I was about 30% in when I realized that not only was this book unique but it was going to be one that would stick with me, especially Jebediah. I'm pretty impressed with how well it was told. The story is actually plausible. There are no lose ends or plot holes, everything is explained in a way that it's easy to accept.

This may not be anyone's choice of a normal read, it's an Amish science fiction! I know it sounds silly, but it was a really great story. I even cried at one part! It's a long book as well, but it reads easily. Anyone who is a fan of science fiction or Christian fiction would enjoy this book. Also, everyone should just read it anyway because, come on, how amusing would it be to tell people that you're readingAmish Vampires in Space?

After 12 years, 4 months and 1 and 1/2 weeks of marriage, his wife packs up and leaves with their daughter. So he writes an Indie novel. And it becomes a bestseller. Well, sort of.

His fame brings him the lifestyle of a rockstar, and he has the fan mail (i.e. female undergarments, probably clean) to prove it.

But seeing his fame, his wife suddenly believes in marriage counseling. Their homework: to create something beautiful for each other.

So he writes Our Story, his literary secret-weapon that will win his wife back. But in the process he discovers that true love is more than just ticking the right boxes on a checklist, it starts with.....well.....}i{

Review:

I was given this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I was interested in how very unlike the normal romance story this one seemed. It's what originally drew me into it. Too often do I read a book and it's the same as so many others on the market - which he actually brings up in the book. That part made me laugh.

This is not like anything I've read before. As an aspiring writer, I actually enjoyed how real and honest the author was about the world of indie publishing. This included the author's cut of a sale, dealing with bullying, and other things many readers never think about on this side of the book.

That being said, I did have my issues with it. Not that it was bad. There was just something a little hard to get into at some parts, plus the editing is a little rough. Although, I did enjoy it as a quick and easy read. It's something the typical romance reader is probably not looking for - but something they'd enjoy if they picked it up.

I didn't feel like I was reading something an author created to please a reader, with hollow relationships and cheesy lines. Instead, it was much more realistic. For that, I was pleased. All and all, I give Non-Friction 4 out of 5 platypires.

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Synopsis:

The Great Anti-American Novel is a memoir written by a confessed mass-murderer in an offshore federal detention facility. The narrator’s penetratingly satirical story centers on his small family coming together and being ripped apart by a global economic and cultural collapse that triggers a second American civil war, setting up the events that ultimately result in Dante Thompson and his adopted sister Sylvia orchestrating and carrying out an explosive, blood-gushingly violent retribution for the tragic and untimely deaths of their heroic father and former nation.

Review:

I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Different is a good way to describe it. The writing style is not the norm, which made it a little harder to get into. I didn't dislike it, it just took longer than usual. The concept of the book was good, but the execution wasn't.

The story itself gets confusing in a lot of points. I feel the writer could have made it much better if they'd gone back and tied some parts together or expanded more. I understand it was written as a memoir and it is supposed to match with the narrator, but there were many times were I found myself raising my eyebrow and wondering what the hell was going on.

The viewpoints expressed in it don't affect this review, and I understand their necessity with the characters. My issue was that there were times where I found myself confused. This would take me out of the book, and I would flip back thinking I'd missed something - which wasn't the case.

I found the characters interesting. They definitely held my interest and kept me reading. I wanted to see how things turned out, because I found myself intrigued by them. I can't say that I understood or knew where they were coming from, but their actions made sense. I didn't feel like they were fake.

That being said, it was interesting. It is worth reading if you're looking for an original story. With work, it has potential.

Synopsis:

I want to tell you how great my life was. How I lived without regrets. With constant laughter. Without any tears. I want to tell you how I lived each moment to the fullest. How each breath I took was fresh and full of life. With eagerness. Without any fear.

I want to tell you all of that, but then my story would be masked with lies and not worth telling.My life didnâ€™t start until I left my past. And I left everything. My mother, my friends, my name.My new name, the name everyone knows me by is Erin Lewis.

Four years after finding the courage to leave her hometown in Alabama, Erin is finally happy with where her life has led her. Not only is she secure in her environment, but the relationships she has formed center her, making her forget how damaged she once was. Before she can fully settle into her new life, her past crashes into her present, unraveling a set of events that destroy the very foundation she has built her new life on.

Review:

This book was one of the winners of a contest I did back in December, so I was curious and decided to give it a chance. When I found out there was a review tour scheduled, it only made sense to join it since I already owned the book. If anything, I had an excuse to read it much sooner than anticipated.

I really enjoyed this book in a lot of ways. It was an amazing story and I was glad to be able to read it. Yessi Smith is an author I'm going to have to keep an eye on. I fell in love with the characters, and how they adapted throughout the story.

That being said, there were issues that would have been resolved with better editing. Too often I was pulled out the story because of a spelling error, grammatical mistake, etc. There are also a few issues with content that, had they been addressed, would have easily made this a 5-star read.

All in all, I did find myself enjoying this story - despite the issues - and I am interested to read the next book in the series. I do hope that the editing issues are taken care of, because Yessi Smith has the potential to become an incredible author and I would like to see her reach it.